Sound slide film machine



Nov. 15, 1960 R. H. LARSON ETAL 2,960,005

SOUND SLIDE FILM MACHINE Original Filed March 7, 1957 2 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TORS RM H flanurv.

Nov. 15, 1960 R. H. LARSON ETAL 2,960,005

SOUND SLIDE FILM MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 7, 1957 H flVENTORS. cg CW Nov. 15, 1960 R. H. LARSON ETAL 2,960,005

SOUND SLIDE FILM MACHINE Original Filed March 7, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 SOUND SLIDE FILM MACHINE Griginal application Mar. 7, 1957, Ser. No. 644,633,

now Patent No. 2,925,009, dated Feb. 16, 1960. Divided and this application May 8, 1959, Ser. No.

10 Claims. (Cl. 88-28) This invention relates to a sound slide film machine and more particularly to a compact portable machine which may be used for projecting strip film and for reproducing sound recordings simultaneously. The machine embodying the present invention is simple to manufacture and to operate, is compact and requires a minimum of time and effort to change the machine from its normal shipping condition to a usable condition or vice versa.

Sound slide film machines are widely used as a selling adjunct. In order to use such machines effectively, it is essential that a minimum of time and effort be necessary to put the machine in readiness for use. Many machines require elaborate preparations for setting the machine into operative condition. Most machines require a screen to be disposed at a distance from the machine and thus require a certain minimum room within which to operate.

The new machine embodying the present invention is completely self-contained and may be disposed upon any.

support such as a chair or desk. Thenew machine embodying the present invention requires no more room than would normally be occupied by a person at a desk. It is thus particularly desirablefor use by salesmen and others where the display is to be made to one person or a few personsjforming a small group.

The new sound slide machine embodying the present invention includes a compact optical system which throws an image upon an easel type screen carried in the case housing the entire mechanism. The invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings showing an exemplary embodiment. Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the new sound slide machine in condition for use. g V

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sound slide machine in its container packed for shipping or for carrying.

Figure 3 is an end view with the cover of the carrying case elevated.

Figure 4 is a view looking down upon the phonograph turntable and mirror with the screen out of the way.

Figure 5 is a perspective detail illustrating the phonograph and the principal portion of the optical system of the new machine.

Figure 5a is a detail of the frame index means forming part of the mechanism shown in Figure 5.

Figure 6 is an end view of the phonograph illustrating the various guides for insuring the correct positioning of a record.

Figure 7 is an exploded view of the projecting portion of the new machine.

Figures 8 and 9 are respectively side and rear views of the mount for the final reflecting mirror in the projecting system.

Figures 10, 11 and 11A are side, rear and top views respectively of the mounts for the first two mirrors forming parts of the optical system of the projector.

i e tates Patfi O ice Figure 12 is a front perspective detail of the electric phonograph.

The new sound slide machine is carried in a case generally indicated by 10, having bottom 11 rear and front walls 12 and 13, top 14 and sides 15 and 16. The carrying case top portion 14 has hingedly attached thereto near the front wall 13 cover portion 18 which extends around toward front wall 13. Hinged cover portion 18 has handle 20 and has suitable hardware 21 for locking the cover to the case proper when carrying the case and contents.

Extending inwardly and upwardly from front wall 13 is operating panel 23. Operating panel 23 has top edge portion 25 stepped to provide a stop for bottom 26 of frame 27 supporting display screen 28. Frame 27 is carried by cover portion 18, frame 27 having mounted portion 30 attached to cover portion 18 by screws 31.

The entire screen and screen support is so disposed in cover portion 18 that when cover portion 18 is flat with carrying case 14, as illustrated in Figure 3, the entire screen and frame are disposed within the inside of top 14. Top 14 is provided with downwardly extending sides 33 for providing the head room when the cover is closed so that the screen and frame are properly accommodated within the cover.

' In order to dispose the screen in proper viewing position, cover portion 18 is tilted back from top 14 after the latter has been opened, as seen in Figure 1. Screen 28 and frame 27 are always disposed in the same position with respect to the viewer, bottom portion 26 of the frame cooperating with top edge 25 of the front panel to position the screen.

Immediately behind front panel 23 and to the left as seen in Figure 1, there is disposed a substantial portion of the optical system for the projector. Referring to Figure 5, bottom 11 is provided with grille 35 to insure an adequate flow of air through the bottom wall into the machine. Disposed over grille 35 is housing 36 supporting a projection lamp 38 and heat ray filter and lenses 40 and 41 positioned forwardly of lamp 38. Lamp 38 is preferably provided with reflector 42 to direct light on to lenses 40 and 41. These lenses may be condensers.

Housing 36 preferably has opening 44 in the side wall adjacent lamp 38 to permit air to pass through the lamp housing and cool the lenses. The housingis open at the bottom where the lamp is located so air can flow directly past the lamp.

Housing 36 carries film gate 45 adapted to accommodate film strip 46. Housing 36 supports film framing and advancing means having sprockets 48 and 49. Figure 5 shows certain portions of the film framing and advance means exploded. Film framing and advance knob 51 and clutch control button 52 cooperate in conjunction with sprockets 48 and 49 for controlling the film. Clutch control button 52 is connected through a clutch to shaft 53 which extends completely through housing 36 to side wall 16 of the case, the shaft carrying a knob at that end also. This last named knob and knob 51 make film advance possible from either side of the case. Inasmuch as film framing and film advance means are well known in this art, it is unnecessary to describe the construction in detail.

In general however, member 51 controls a clutch for disconnecting sprockets 48 and 49 from shaft 53 so that the sprockets may be turned independently of the shaft. The index means includes square block 54 secured to shaft 53. The index means also includes spring 55 riveted to a piece of the metal from housing 36 turned down to form opening 44. Once the film has been properly framed, the index means insures that the film will be advanced by one frame at a time.

Positioned immediately in front of film gate 45 and behind front panel 23 is mirror support 58. This consists of a rigid support plate fixedly secured in the case at an appropirate angle to the sides of the case so that the support is positioned approximately as illustrated in Figure 5. Support plate 58 carries mirror support strip 59 (Figures and 11) to which is cemented or otherwise firmly attached mirror 60.

Support strip 59 is attached to plate 58 by means which provide for a limited universal adjustment. This means may assume any one of a number of forms. As illustrated here in Figures 10, 11 and 11A, two support screws 61 are provided along one center line, here the center of support strip 59. Screws 61 have nuts 61b so disposed that support plate 58 and support strip 59 may be pulled together against the front of strip 6112 by drawing up screws 61. Each screw 61 has spring 61a around it between nut 61b and strip 59. It is clear that screws 61 may be independently adjusted so that the mirror is moved above a horizontal axis as seen in Figures 10 and 11.

A pair of adjusting screws 62 are provided as illustrated in Figure 11. Screws 62 are laterally offset from the center line extending between screws 61. It is clear that by adjustment of screws 62, the mirrors may be moved with respect to a vertical center line as seen in Figure 11.

Disposed to the right of the first mirror and outside of housing 36 is second mirror 66. The second mirror may be mounted in a manner generally resembling the first mirror and the two mirror supports and mirrors are so secured that a light beam passing through the film gate strikes the first mirror and is reflected to the second.

The second mirror is disposed from the first mirror a distance approximately /3 to /2 of the width of the case, this being the dimension between sides and 116. This permits an oil-center location of the film gate and lamp. The light beam from second mirror 66 is reflected to final or third mirror 70 mounted upon rear wall 12 of the carrying case.

It is preferred to have third mirror 70 mounted for universal movement in all directions through a limited angle. While any universal mounting may be used, a simple construction is illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. Rear wall 12 is apertured at a portion thereof and has mirror support plate 71 rigidly secured by screws 72 to wall 12. Plate 71 carries a number of screws 75, shown here as three, going into mirror support block 76. Support block 76 is recessed and accommodates ball bearing 77 which is adapted to press against plate 71. The tightness of mirror support 76 on plate 71 may be controlled or adjusted to permit mirror adjustment.

It is understood that mirror 70 will be adjusted to the position where light received from second mirror 66 will in turn be reflected to screen 28. As a rule, once mirror 70 has been properly adjusted, no further changes are necessary.

Means are provided for focusing the image. This means consists of lens 80 disposed in the light path between mirrors 60 and 66. Lens 80 is carried in a suitable barrel threadedly supported on bracket 82 at the front of housing 36. Adjusting knob 83 is coupled to the lens so that by turning knob 83, the position of the lens in the barrel may be adjusted and the image on the film may be properly focused. Knob 83 has a sufiiciently large diameter so that a portion thereof is accessible through an opening in front panel 23.

Front panel 23 is provided with slot 86 through which film 46 may feed after projection. Front panel 23 has opening 87 which gives access to the film entrance to gate 45. Opening 87 is provided with film roll support 88. This may consist of a Wire clip to hold the roll in position. It is understood that the leading portion of the film is fed through the gate manually and when the forward end has passed sprockets 48 and 49, the film may be pulled or fed through and properly framed for operation.

Front panel 23' is provided with opening 90 giving access to a phonograph turntable. Suitably supported on base 11 is a phonograph driving motor and turntable 91. Turntable 91 has dome shaped centering member 92 so that disc record 94 may be easily passed through opening 90 and disposed in proper position upon the turntable. Supported from suitable bracket 96 (Figure 6) is fixture 97 carrying pivot pin 98. Fixture 97 includes two rigid clamping portions between which extends flexible support strip 970. Sleeve 99 is disposed around the pivot pin and supports tone arm 100. Tone arm 100 is provided with extension 102 having offset handle portion 103 which projects through window 104 in the panel. Window 104 is so shaped as to provide ofiset portion 105 for locking the tone arm in an elevated position. Finger piece 103 may be moved to the main portion of window 104, this permitting the tone arm to drop into playing position.

In order to prevent record 94 from being pushed against the elevated stylus and damaging the stylus, strip 106 may be disposed upon the inside of panel 23 and so shaped as to guide the disc record into correct playing position.

It is understood that the cabinet contains suitable amplifiers and speaker for reproducing a record. The amplifiers and speaker may be housed in a suitable portion of the cabinet and may for example be disposed Within housing 100.

It will be seen that a compact and convenient strip film projector and record producing means have been provided. It is possible to provide magnetic record reproducing means instead of the disc record reproducing means. However, the machine illustrated is easy to set up and use and may be repacked after use with minimum time and etfort.

This application is a division of our application Serial No. 644,633, filed March 7, 1957, now Patent No. 2,925,009, granted February 16, 1960.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable sound slide machine comprising a com plete film projector and electric phonograph all disposed within a carrying case at all times, said carrying case having a bottom, side and rear walls and a front panel, a cover which may be opened, a viewing screen of the easel type during use extending between the open cover and the front panel of the case, film projecting means disposed within said case, said projecting means including a film gate disposed behind one portion of the front of the case adjacent one side wall, said front having openings permitting film to be fed to and away from the film gate, said projecting means including focusing means having a manual control extending through an opening in the front panel to be accessible, said projecting means including mirror means for directing light to the screen, an electric phonograph of the disc record type, said electric phonograph including a turntable disposed behind the front and adjacent the other side wall, said front having a slot adjacent the turntable for accommodating a disc record to he slipped through the slot on to the turntable, said phonograph also including a transducer means for cooperation with the disc record, said transducer means carrying a manual member, said front panel being slotted with said manual member extending through said slot to be accessible from the front.

2. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said film gate includes film frame advance means and manual means extending through both side walls and available from either side of the case for film control.

3. The construction according to claim 1 wherein a film reel support is provided at the front panel.

4. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said projecting means includes mirrors and wherein means are provided for mounting the mirrors so that the same may be adjusted.

5. The construction according to claim 1 wherein said projecting means include a first mirror adjacent the one side wall and front panel, a second mirror adjacent the front but intermediate the side walls, and a third mirror adjacent the rear wall and intermediate the side walls so that light first travels along the one side wall toward the front wall, then generally parallel to the front and then back toward the rear wall and then upwardly and forwardy toward the screen.

6. A portable self-contained sound slide machine comprising a case having a bottom wall, side walls, front panel and a rear wall and a cover, a housing within said case disposed adjacent one side wall and extending toward the front, said housing containing means for generating a beam of light extending generally along the housing toward the front, a film gate carried by said housing at the rear of said front panel, a lens assembly carried by said housing at the wall thereof behind the front panel with the lens axis being disposed generally parallel to the front panel and extending between the side walls, said lens assembly including a movable lens for focusing, means for adjusting said lens, said adjusting means having a knob readily accessible for manual operation from the front of the case, a first mirror disposed at the corner of the case formed by the front and one side wall, a second mirror disposed behind the front panel but intermediate the side walls, said two mirrors being on opposite sides of the lens assembly, a third mirror disposed adjacent the rear wall and intermediate the two side walls, said light beam passing through the film gate falling upon the first mirror, then being reflected to pass through the lens system and falling upon the second mirror, said light beam then passing to the third mirror, a screen mounted to stand at the top of the front panel and maintained in an upright viewing position by said cover when the cover is in an open position, said front having openings adjacent one side wall in vertically spaced relation for accommodating a film reel at the top and permitting the exposed film to pass through the film gate and outwardly from the interior of the case, an electric phonograph disposed within the case behind the front panel and adjacent the other side wall, said phonograph including a turntable, said front panel having an opening adjacent the turntable through which a disc record may be passed for positioning upon the turntable and a tone arm pivotally secured rearwardly of said front panel.

7. The construction according to claim 6 wherein means are provided for adjustably securing said first and second mirrors, each of said means comprising a support plate rigidly secured to said case, a support strip carrying a mirror, and means for securing said support strip for universal adjustment on said support plate.

8. The construction according to claim 6 wherein means are provided for adjustably securing at least one of said first two mirrors, said means comprising a support rigidly secured to said case, a support strip carrying a mirror, adjustable means disposed at the opposite ends of the center line of said support strip for determining the distance between said support strip and said support plate to adjust said support strip with respect to an axis perpendicular to the line joining said adjusting means and additional adjustable means laterally offset on each side from said first named adjustable means for determining the positions of said support strip with respect to an axis perpendicular to the first named axis.

9. A portable sound slide machine comprising a complete film projector and electric phonograph all disposed within a carrying case at all times, said carrying case having a bottom, side and rear walls and a front panel, a cover which may be opened, a viewing screen of the easel type during use extending between the open cover and the front panel of the case, film projecting means disposed within said case, said projecting means including a film gate disposed behind one portion of the front of the case adjacent one side wall, said front having openings permitting film to be fed to and away from the film gate, said projecting means including focusing means behind said front panel having a manual control readily accessible from the front of the machine, said projecting means including mirror means for directing light to the screen, an electric phonograph of the disc record type, said electric phonograph including a turntable disposed behind the front and adjacent the other side wall, said front having a slot adjacent the turntable for accommodating a disc record to be slipped through the slots on to the turntable, a tone arm carrying a transducer for cooperation with a disc record, and means for pivotally mounting said tone arm so that said tone arm extends forwardly toward the front of the case.

10. A portable sound slide machine comprising a complete film projector and electric phonograph all disposed within a carrying case at all times, said carrying case having a bottom, side and rear walls and a front panel, a cover which may be opened, a viewing screen of the easel type during use extending between the open cover and the front panel of the case, film projecting means disposed within said case, said projecting means including a film gate disposed behind one portion of the front of the case adjacent one side wall, said front having openings permitting film to be fed to and away from the film gate, said film gate including frame advance means having a shaft extending behind said front panel, said shaft carrying a knob at the end for manual control of said frame advance means, said projecting means including focusing means behind said front panel having a manual control readily accessible from the front of the machine, said projecting means including mirror means for directing light to the screen, an electric phonograph of the disc record type, said electric phonograph including a turntable disposed behind the front and adjacent the other side wall, said phonograph also including a tone arm carrying a transducer for cooperation with a disc record.

Designs of the Month, Machine Design, pages 138, 139, May 1947. 

